Attention, men behaving badly (yes, this means you): this item has a get-out-of-the-doghouse rating of five out of five. It’s a svelte, 18oz soft shell with just a bit of stretch, and it comes in a SheFlogger-friendly style that is equally at home at a Nordic half-marathon or a Nordstrom half-yearly.
Make no mistake, the Offwidth is first and foremost a backcountry performance soft shell constructed from Mountain Hardwear’s latest concoction, TufSstretch: 58% nylon, 31% polyester and 11% elastane, which is an extract made from ground-up elves. The zip handwarmer pockets are placed high to accomodate a harness, and there’s a shoulder pocket as well with a nicely concealed zipper. The tailored fit not only looks nice but layers efficiently. Underarm gussets allow flexibility on the pitch, and the Velcro wrist tabs and collar and hem drawcords keep the nasties out.
On the move this shell breathes wonderfully, which along with its streetsmart good looks make it suitable for a very wide range of conditions. It was not easy to pry this one off the SheFlogger long enough to write a review, yet despite almost daily use it still looks off-the-rack new. All this for less than the cost of a written apology, dinner and flowers. A very minor quibble: the hand pockets are not sewn to the shell on the inside, so don’t try to store items between the pocket and the shell like you might in some jackets.